Why do Muslims react so similarly to Christianity?

While there are significant differences in the way that Muslims across the world practice Islam, the way that they respond to the gospel is remarkably similar. Why is this?

The responses often conform to passages from the Quran, and do not vary much even in cultures that are very different. I am not discussing levels of persecution, rather actual responses of individuals to the gospel or to Muslims converting to Christianity. My MBB discipleship handbook contains references to thirteen passages from the Quran that deal specifically with responding to Christians, and many Muslims learn them as children. Devout or not, the responses to Christian outreach seem to be generally driven by the Quran rather than by cultural norms.

Though the Muslim world is far from walking in cultural lock-step, it seems that when responding to Christian gospel outreach or to MBB conversion, Quranic influence is the driving factor. In at least this narrow sense, Islam is a metaculture — having influence that transcends geography, nationality and local customs.

Keywords: Muslim ministry, Islam, metaculture